2005 "Feminism, Media and the Law" Retreat
FEMINISTS “RETREAT” TO
BRAINSTORM MEDIA ADVANCES
In May of this year, the Claire L’Heureux Dubé Fund sponsored “Feminism, Media and the Law,” a three-day retreat held at a rustic country resort an hour north of Kingston. The 25 attendees included lawyers, law professors, law students and a handful of media resource people. Over three days, the women worked collaboratively to develop strategies that would help to expand opportunities in mainstream news media for feminist perspectives on social justice issues.
BARRIERS TO GREATER PARTICIPATION DISCUSSED
Initial discussion focused on the existing barriers that prevent women’s voices and, in particular, feminist perspectives, from being heard more often. Participants identified big picture issues including the increasing concentration of media ownership, the shift to the right in North American politics, the definition of news as being primarily about those in power, and the continuing dominance of male gatekeepers in both broadcast and print news rooms.
The reluctance of many women to participate in media
interviews was also discussed.
Previous negative experiences and an inability to respond within the tight
time frame often given were offered as common reasons for this. Appreciating
that the current news media environment continues to reinforces the message
that male voices and faces are more authoritative than women’s,
consensus was reached regarding the importance of female experts making
themselves available to participate in media coverage of relevant issues.
Particular attention was paid to the challenges facing feminists in particular. These included the wide-spread perception that “feminism is a story that has already been covered” and gender equality an issue that has already been achieved (except where it would be “too expensive”!); the extent to which feminists are often employed in positions or organizations which are under-resourced and so don’t provide the kind of support that would facilitate a timely response to media requests for information; the complexity of the social justice issues feminism seeks to address; and the lack of a single, identifiable source to speak on behalf of all feminists – something which might make journalists’ jobs easier, but which is antithetical to the goals of women seeking greater diversity of expression;.
PRO-ACTIVE TOOLS IDENTIFIED
Throughout the retreat, participants shared their media-related experiences and, under the direction of the media resource people, developed a variety of proactive strategies that could be undertaken both individually and collectively.
They discussed proactive strategies for generating more public attention to critical social justice issues, cultivating relationships with journalists and supplying relevant and timely information in media-friendly formats. The media resource people provided insights into the constraints within which journalists work and offered concrete suggestions on a wide variety of practical topics such as when to use a press release instead of a press conference and how to submit a commentary or be effective in different types of media interviews.